Lu Su departed on
his mission and found Zhuge Liang seated in his little craft.

"There has been
so much to do that I have not been able to come to listen to your
instructions," said Lu Su.

"That is truly
so," said Zhuge Liang, "and I have not yet congratulated the
Commander-in-Chief."

"What have you
wished to congratulate him upon?"

"Why Sir, the
matter upon which he sent you to find out whether I knew about it or not.
Indeed I can congratulate him on that."

Lu Su turned pale
and gasped, saying, "But how did you know, Master?"

"The ruse
succeeded well thus played off on Jiang Gan. Cao Cao has been taken in this
once, but he will soon rise to it. Only he will not confess his mistake.
However, the two men are gone, and the South Land is freed from a grave
anxiety. Do you not think that is a matter for congratulation? I hear Mao Jie and
Yu Jin are the new admirals, and in their hands lie both good and evil for the
fate of the northern fleet."

Lu Su was quite
dumbfounded. He stayed a little time longer passing the time in making empty
remarks, and then took his leave.

As he was going away,
Zhuge Liang cautioned him, saying, "Do not let Zhou Yu know that I know
his ruse. If you let him know, he will seek some chance to do me harm."

Lu Su promised.
Nevertheless he went straight to his chief and related the whole thing just as
it happened.

"Really he must
be got rid of," said Zhou Yu. "I have quite decided to put the man
out of the way."

"If you slay
him, will not Cao Cao laugh at you?"

"Oh, no; I will
find a legitimate way of getting rid of him so that he shall go to his death
without resentment."

"But how can
you find a legitimate way of assassinating him?"

"Do not ask too
much. You will see presently."

Soon after all the
officers were summoned to the main tent, and Zhuge Liang's presence was
desired. He went contentedly enough.

When all were
seated, Zhou Yu suddenly addressed Zhuge Liang, saying, "I am going to
fight a battle with the enemy soon on the water. What weapons are the
best?"

"On a great
river arrows are the best," said Zhuge Liang.

"Your opinion
and mine agree. But at the moment we are short of them. I wish you would
undertake to supply about a hundred thousand arrows for the naval fight. As it
is for the public service, you will not decline, I hope."

"Whatever task
the Commander-in-Chief lays upon me, I must certainly try to perform,"
replied Zhuge Liang. "May I inquire by what date you require the hundred
thousand arrows?"

"Could you have
them ready in ten days?"

"The enemy will
be here very soon. Ten days will be too late," said Zhuge Liang.

"In how many
days do you estimate the arrows can be ready?"

"Let me have
three days. Then you may send for your hundred thousand."

"No joking,
remember!" said Zhou Yu. "There is no joking in war time."

"Dare I joke
with the Commander-in-Chief? Give me a formal military order. If I have not
completed the task in three days, I will take my punishment."

Zhou Yu, secretly
delighted, sent for the secretaries and prepared the commission then and there.

Then he drank to the
success of the undertaking and said, "I shall have to congratulate you
most heartily when this is accomplished."

"This day is
too late to count," said Zhuge Liang. "On the third from tomorrow
morning send five hundred small boats to the river side to convey the
arrows."

They drank a few more
cups together, and then Zhuge Liang took his leave.

After he had gone,
Lu Su said, "Do you not think there is some deceit about this?"

"Clearly it is
not I! It is he who has signed his own death warrant," said Zhou Yu.
"Without being pressed in the least, he asked for a formal order in the
face of the whole assembly. Even if he grew a pair of wings, he could not
escape. Only I will just order the workers to delay him as much as they can,
and not supply him with materials, so that he is sure to fail. And then, when
the certain penalty is incurred, who can criticize? You can go and inquire
about it all and keep me informed."

So off went Lu Su to
seek Zhuge Liang, who at once reproached him with having blabbed about the
former business.

Zhuge Liang said,
"He wants to hurt me, as you know, and I did not think you could not keep
my secret. And now there is what you saw today, and how do you think I can get
a hundred thousand arrows made in three days? You will simply have to rescue
me."

"You brought
the misfortune on yourself, and how can I rescue you?" said Lu Su.

"I look to you
for the loan of twenty vessels, manned each by thirty people. I want blue
cotton screens and bundles of straw lashed to the sides of the boats. I have
good use for them. On the third day, I shall undertake to deliver the fixed
number of arrows. But on no account must you let Zhou Yu know, or my scheme
will be wrecked."

Lu Su consented, and
this time he kept his word. He went to report to his chief as usual, but he
said nothing about the boats.

He only said,
"Zhuge Liang is not using bamboo or feathers or glue or varnish, but has
some other way of getting arrows."

"Let us await
the three days' limit," said Zhou Yu, puzzled though confident.

On his side Lu Su
quietly prepared a score of light swift boats, each with its crew and the blue
screens and bundles of grass complete and, when these were ready, he placed
them at Zhuge Liang's disposal.

Zhuge Liang did
nothing on the first day, nor on the second. On the third day at the middle of
the fourth watch, Zhuge Liang sent a private message asking Lu Su to come to
his boat.

"Why have you
sent for me, Sir?" asked Lu Su.

"I want you to
go with me to get those arrows."

"Whither are
you going?"

"Do not ask.
You will see."

Then the twenty
boats were fastened together by long ropes and moved over to the north bank.
The night proved very foggy and the mist was very dense along the river, so
that one person could scarcely see another. In spite of the fog, Zhuge Liang
urged the boats forward as if into the vast fairy kingdom.

There is a poem on
these river fogs:

Mighty indeed is the Great River!
Rising far in the west, in the Emei and Min Mountains,
Plowing its way through Wu, east flowing, resistless,
Swelled by its nine tributary streams, rolling down from the far north,
Aided and helped by a hundred rivulets swirling and foaming,
Ocean receives it at last welcoming, joyful, its waters.
Therein abide sea nymphs and water gods,
Enormous whales a thousand fathoms long,
Nine-headed monstrous beasts, reptiles and octopi,
Demons and uncouth creatures wondrous strange.
In faith it is the home and safe retreat
Of devils and sprites, and wondrous growths,
And eke the battle ground of valiant humans.
At times occur strange strife of elements,
When darkness strives on light's domains that encroach,
Whereat arises in the vaulted dome of blue
White wreaths of fog that toward the center roll.
Then darkness falls, too dense for any torch
Illumine; only clanging sounds can pass.
The fog at first appears, a vaporous wreath
Scarce visible. But thickening fast, it veils
The Southern Hills, the painted leopard's home.
And spreads afar, until the northern sea
Leviathans are amazed and lose their course.
And denser yet it touches on the sky.
And spreads a heavy mantle over the earth.
Then, wide as is the high pitched arch of heaven,
Therein appears no single rift of blue.
Now mighty whales lead up their spouses to sport
Upon the waves, the sinuous dragons dive
Deep down and, breathing, swell the heaving sea,
The earth is moist as with the early rains,
And spring's creative energy is chilled.
Both far and wide and high the damp fog spreads,
Great cities on the eastern bank are hid,
Wide ports and mountains in the south are lost,
Whole fleets of battle ships, a thousand keels,
Hide in the misty depths; frail fishing boats
High riding on a wave are seen---and lost.
The gloom increases and the domed sky
Grows dark and darker as the sun's light fails.
The daylight dies, dim twilight's reign begins,
The ruddy hills dissolve and lose their hue.
The skill of matchless King Yu would fail to sound
The depth and height; and Li Lou's eye, though keen,
Could never pierce this gloom.
Now is the time, O sea and river gods, to use your powers.
The gliding fish and creeping water folk
Are lost; there is no track for bird or beast.
Fair Penglai Isles are hidden from our sight,
The lofty gates of heaven have disappeared.
Nature is blurred and indistinct, as when
A driving rain storm hurries over the earth.
And then, perhaps, within the heavy haze,
A noisome serpent vents his venom foul
And plagues descend, or impish demons work
Their wicked wills.
Ills fall on humans but do not stay,
Heaven's cleansing breath sweeps them sway,
But while they last the mean ones cry,
The nobler suffer silently.
The greatest turmoil is a sign
Of quick return to state benign.

The little fleet
reached Cao Cao's naval camp about the fifth watch, and Zhuge Liang gave orders
to form line lying prows west, and then to beat the drums and shout.

"But what shall
we do if they attack us?" exclaimed Lu Su.

Zhuge Liang replied
with a smile, "I think their fleet will not venture out in this fog. Go on
with your wine, and let us be happy. We will go back when the fog lifts."

As soon as the
shouting from the river was heard by those in the camp, the two admirals, Mao
Jie and Yu Jin, ran off to report to Cao Cao, who said, "Coming up in a
fog like this means that they have prepared an ambush for us. Do not go out,
but get all the force together and shoot at them."

He also sent orders
to the ground camps to dispatch six thousand of archers and crossbowmen to aid
the marines.

The naval forces
were then lined up shooting on the bank to prevent a landing. Presently the
soldiers arrived, and ten thousand and more soldiers were shooting down into
the river, where the arrows fell like rain. By and bye Zhuge Liang ordered the
boats to turn round so that their prows pointed east and to go closer in so
that many arrows might hit them.

Zhuge Liang ordered
the drums to be kept beating till the sun was high and the fog began to
disperse, when the boats got under way and sailed down stream. The whole twenty
boats were bristling with arrows on both sides.

As they left, Zhuge
Liang asked all the crews to shout derisively, "We thank you, Sir Prime
Minister, for the arrows!"

They told Cao Cao,
but by the time he came, the light boats helped by the swift current were seven
miles long down the river and pursuit was impossible. Cao Cao saw that he had
been duped and was very sorry, but there was no help for it.

On the way down Zhuge
Liang said to his companion, "Every boat must have five or six thousand
arrows and so, without the expenditure of an ounce of energy, we must have more
than ten myriad arrows, which tomorrow can be shot back again at Cao Cao's army
to his great inconvenience."

"You are really
superhuman," said Lu Su. "But how did you know there would be a thick
fog today?"

"One cannot be
a leader without knowing the workings of heaven and the ways of earth. One must
understand the secret gates and the interdependence of the elements, the
mysteries of tactics and the value of forces. It is but an ordinary talent. I
calculated three days ago that there would be a fog today, and so I set the
limit at three days. Zhou Yu would give me ten days, but neither artificers nor
materials, so that he might find occasion to put me to death as I knew. But my
fate lies with the Supreme, and how could Zhou Yu harm me?"

Lu Su could not but
agree. When the boats arrived, five hundred soldiers were in readiness on the
bank to carry away the arrows. Zhuge Liang bade them go on board the boats,
collect them and bear them to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief. Lu Su went to
report that the arrows had been obtained and told Zhou Yu by what means.

Zhou Yu was amazed
and sighed sadly, saying, "He is better than I. His methods are more than
human."

Thick lies the fog on the river,
Nature is shrouded in white,
Distant and near are confounded,
Banks are no longer in sight.
Fast fly the pattering arrows,
Stick in the boats of the fleet.
Now can full tale be delivered,
Zhuge Liang is victor complete.

When, shortly after
his return, Zhuge Liang went to the tent of the Commander-in-Chief, he was
welcomed by Zhou Yu, who came forward to greet him, saying, "Your
superhuman predictions compel one's esteem."

"There is
nothing remarkable in that trifling trick," replied he.

Zhou Yu led him
within and wine was brought.

Then Zhou Yu said,
"My lord sent yesterday to urge me to advance, but I have no master plan
ready. I wish you would assist me, Master."

"But where
should I, a man of poor everyday ability, find such a plan as you desire?"

"I saw the
enemy's naval camp just lately, and it looked very complete and well organized.
It is not an ordinary place to attack. I have thought of a plan, but I am not
sure it will answer. I should be happy if you would decide for me."

"General,"
replied Zhuge Liang, "do not say what your plan is, but each of us will
write in the palm of his hand and see whether our opinions agree."

So brush and ink
were sent for, and Zhou Yu first wrote on his own palm, and then passed the pen
to Zhuge Liang who also wrote. Then getting close together on the same bench,
each showed his hand to the other, and both burst out laughing, for both had written
the same word, "Fire."

"Since we are
of the same opinion," said Zhou Yu, "there is no longer any doubt.
But our intentions must be kept secret."

"Both of us are
public servants, and what would be the sense of telling our plans? I do not
think Cao Cao will be on his guard against this, although he has had two
experiences. You may put your scheme into force."

They finished their
wine and separated. Not an officer knew a word of the general's plans.

Now Cao Cao had
expended a myriad arrows in vain and was much irritated in consequence. He
deeply desired revenge.

Then Xun You
proposed a ruse, saying, "The two strategists on the side of the enemy are
Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang, two men most difficult to get the better of. Let us
send someone who shall pretend to surrender to them but really be a spy on our
behalf and a helper in our schemes. When we know what is doing, we can plan to
meet it."

"I had thought
of that myself," replied Cao Cao. "Whom do you think the best person
to send?"

"Cai Mao has
been put to death, but all his clan and family are in the army, and his two
younger brothers are junior generals. You have them most securely in your power
and may send them to surrender. The ruler of the South Land will never suspect
deceit there."

Cao Cao decided to
act on this plan, and in the evening summoned Cai Zhong and Cai He to his tent,
where he told them, saying, "I want you two pretend to surrender to the
South Land so that you can gather intelligence and sent it back. When all done,
you will be richly rewarded. But do not betray me."

"Our families
are in Jingzhou, and that place is yours," replied they. "Should we
dare betray? You need have no doubts, Sir. You will soon see the heads of both
Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang at your feet."

Cao Cao gave them generous
gifts. Soon after the two men, each with his five hundred soldiers, set sail
with a fair wind for the opposite bank.

Now as Zhou Yu was
preparing for the attack, the arrival of some northern ships was announced.
They bore the two younger brothers of Cai Mao, who had come as deserters.

They were led in
and, bowing before the general, said, weeping, "Our innocent brother has
been put to death, and we desire vengeance. So we have come to offer allegiance
to you. We pray you appoint us to the vanguard."

Zhou Yu appeared
very pleased and made them presents. Then he ordered them to join Gan Ning in
leading the van. They thanked him and regarded their scheme as already a
success.

But Zhou Yu gave Gan
Ning secret orders, saying, "They have come without their families, and so
I know their desertion is only pretense. They have been sent as spies, and I am
going to meet their ruse with one of my own. They shall have some information
to send. You will treat them well, but keep a careful guard over them. On the
day our soldiers start the offense, they shall be sacrificed to the flag. But
be very careful that nothing goes wrong."

Gan Ning went away.

Then Lu Su came to
tell Zhou Yu, saying, "Everyone agrees in thinking the surrender of Cai
Zhong and Cai He feigned and they should be rejected."

"But they wish
to revenge the death of their brother," said the General. "Where is
the pretense? If you are so suspicious, you will receive nobody at all."

Lu Su left much
piqued and went to see Zhuge Liang to whom he told the story. Zhuge Liang only
smiled.

"Why do you
smile?" said Lu Su.

"I smile at
your simplicity. The General is playing a game. Spies cannot easily come and
go, so these two have been sent to feign desertion that they may act as spies.
The General is meeting one ruse with another. He wants them to give false
information. Deceit is not to be despised in war, and his scheme is the correct
one to employ."

Then Lu Su
understood.

That night as Zhou
Yu was sitting in his tent, Huang Gai came to see him privately.

Zhou Yu said,
"You have surely some wise plan to propose that you come at night like
this."

Huang Gai replied,
"The enemy are more numerous than we, and it is wrong to delay. Why not
burn them out?"

"Who suggested
that to you?"

"I thought of
it myself. Nobody suggested it," replied Huang Gai.

"I just wanted
something like this, and that is why I kept those two pretended deserters. I
want them to give some false news. The pity is that I have no one to feign
desertion to the other side and work my plan."

"But I will
carry out your plan," said Huang Gai.

"But if you
cannot show some injury, you will not be believed," said Zhou Yu.

"The Sun family
have been very generous to me, and I would not resent being crushed to death to
repay them," said Huang Gai.

The General bowed
and thanked him, saying, "If you would not object to some bodily
suffering, then the South Land would indeed be happy."

"Kill me. I do
not mind," repeated Huang Gai as he took his leave.

Next day the drums
called all the officers together to the General's tent, and Zhuge Liang came
with the others.

Zhou Yu said,
"The enemy's camps extend about one hundred miles so that the campaign
will be a long one. Each leader is to prepare supplies for three months."

Scarcely had he
spoken when Huang Gai started up, crying, "Say not three months. Be ready
for thirty months, and even then it will not be ended. If you can destroy them
this month, then all is well. If you cannot, then it were better to take Zhang
Zhao's advice, throw down your weapons, turn to the north, and surrender."

Zhou Yu's anger
flared up, and he flushed, crying, "Our lord's orders were to destroy Cao
Cao, and whoever mentioned the word surrender should be put to death! Now, the
very moment when the two armies are to engage, you dare talk of surrender and
damp the ardor of my army! If I do not slay you, how can I support the
others?"

He ordered the
lictors to remove Huang Gai and execute him without delay.

Huang Gai then
flamed up in turn, saying, "This is the third generation since I went with
General Sun Jian, and we overran the southeast. Whence have you sprung
up?"

This made Zhou Yu
perfectly furious, and Huang Gai was ordered to instant death. But Gan Ning
interfered.

Said he, "He is
a veteran officer of the South Land. Pray pardon him!"

"What are you
prating about?" cried Zhou Yu. "Dare you come between me and my
duty?"

Turning to the
lictors, Zhou Yu ordered them to drive Gan Ning forth with blows.

The other officials
fell on their knees entreating pity for Huang Gai.

"He is indeed
most worthy of death, but it would be a loss to the army. We pray you forgive
him. Record his fault for the moment; and after the enemy shall have been
defeated, then put him to death."

But Zhou Yu was
implacable. The officers pleaded with tears.

At length he seemed
moved, saying, "Had you not interceded, he should certainly have suffered
death. But now I will mitigate the punishment to a beating. He shall not
die."

Zhou Yu turned to
the lictors and bade them deal the culprit one hundred blows. Again his
colleagues prayed for remission, but Zhou Yu angrily pushed over the table in
front of him and roared to the officers to get out of the way and let the
sentence be executed.

So Huang Gai was
stripped, thrown to the ground, and fifty blows were given. At this point the
officers again prayed that he be let off.

Zhou Yu sprang from
his chair and pointing his finger at Huang Gai said, "If you dare flout me
again, you shall have the other fifty. If you are guilty of any disrespect, you
shall be punished for both faults!"

With this he turned
into the inner part of the tent, growling as he went, while the officers helped
their beaten colleague to his feet. He was in a deplorable state. His back was
cut in many places, and the blood was flowing in streams. They led him to his
own quarters and on the way he swooned several times. His case seemed most
pitiable.

Lu Su went to see
the suffering officer and then called on Zhuge Liang in his boat.

Lu Su related the
story of the beating and said, "Though the other officers have been cowed
into silence, I think thought you, Sir, might have interceded. You are a guest
and not under Zhou Yu's orders. Why did you stand by with your hands up your
sleeves and say never a word?"

"You insult
me," said Zhuge Liang smiling.

"Why do you say
that? I have never insulted you: Never since the day we came here
together."

"Do you not
know that terrible beating was but a ruse? How could I try to dissuade Zhou
Yu?"

Then Lu Su began to
perceive, and Zhuge Liang continued, saying, "Cao Cao would not be taken
in unless there was some real bodily suffering. Zhou Yu is going to send Huang
Gai over as a deserter, and Zhou Yu will see to it that the two Cao Cao's spies
duly tell the tale. But when you see the General, you must not tell him that I
saw through the ruse. You say that I am very angry like the others."

Lu Su went to see
Zhou Yu and asked, "Why have you so cruelly beaten a proved and trusty
officer?"

"Do the
officers resent it?" asked Zhou Yu.

"They are all
upset about it."

"And what does
your friend think?"

"Zhuge Liang
also resents it in his heart, and he thinks you have made a mistake."

"Then I have
deceived him for once," said Zhou Yu gleefully.

"What mean
you?" cried Lu Su.

"That beating
that Huang Gai got is part of my ruse. I am sending him to Cao Cao as a
deserter, and so I have supplied a reason for desertion. Then I am going to use
fire against the enemy."

Lu Su kept silence,
but he recognized that Zhuge Liang was again right.

Meanwhile Huang Gai
lay in his tent, whither all his colleague officers went to condole with him
and inquire after his health. But Huang Gai would say never a word. He only lay
sighing deeply from time to time.

But when the
Strategist Kan Ze came, Huang Gai told them to bring him to the room where he
lay. Then he bade the servants go away.

Kan Ze said,
"Surely you must have some serious quarrel with the General."

"I have
none," said Huang Gai.

"Then this
beating is just part of a ruse?"

"How did you
guess?" said Huang Gai.

"Because I
watched the General, and I guessed about nine tenths of the truth."

Huang Gai said,
"You see I have been very generously treated by the Sun family, all three
of them, and have no means of showing my gratitude except by offering to help
in this ruse. True I suffer, but I do not regret that. Among all those I know
in the army, there is not one I am intimate with except yourself. You are true,
and I can talk with you as a friend."

"I suppose you
wish me to present your surrender letter to Cao Cao. Is that it?"